Front Range
AvalancheEthan Greene · Dec 31, 2013 · Front Range
Weather
Moderate west and northwest winds at valley bottom. Strong westerly winds along ridglines. Mostly to partly cloudy skies.Periods of light snow.
Snowpack
Snowpack in this area is shallow and wind effected. Upper layers are strong enough to support a skier in most areas, but if you break though you sink to the ground. Moderate whumpfing in isolated areas, often around willows. Near treeline areas appear to be the most dangerous (NE the worst). Upper elevation areas have been heavily affected by the wind with little snow in westerly fetches and firm drifts on lee slopes.
Avalanche
We observed one natural avalanche. It was difficult to tell how old the slide was. Probably not more than 5 days. The debris looked fresh, but the crown face was filling in. Given the wind transport and other activity in the area, it could have been less than 24 hours old. Crown was in the lower start zone or top of the track. Debris ran to the bottom of the track.